


an absence of things

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, M/M, Multi, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 10:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6075828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People think they can learn something about Natasha and Clint by looking at their living quarters at SHIELD.</p><p>Phil knows better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	an absence of things

Natasha's quarters at SHIELD are mostly bare, the blank walls and clean corners the picture of minimalism. Clint's quarters are cluttered with old newspapers, improperly stored weapons, and junk, but there's not a personal item in sight.

All the SHIELD psychologists say that it's because of their upbringing; they don't know what home is.

Coulson looks around his house (the house that used to be his alone) and sees what no one else can. He sees the massive box of imported Russian tea, Natasha's favorite, that Clint bought the last time he was overseas; he sees the little bullseyes Natasha has drawn at the bottom of the garbage cans so Clint can enjoy tossing garbage into them from across the room just a little bit more; he sees the way Clint's old T-shirts have officially claimed the side chair in the study, the way that Natasha's books - on art history and astronomy and any other topic that has nothing to do with work -- have staked a claim on his entire coffee table (and on the couch and the bedside tables and the bathroom counter too); he sees the box in the closet where Natasha throws the ties and shirts she disapproves of, the boxes of quinoa Clint and Natasha had stacked up after Coulson had to start taking cholesterol medication, the drawer full of scraps of paper bearing sarcastic shopping lists and snarky Post-it messages complete with violent stick figure drawings that Coulson could never bear to throw away. 

Coulson looks around and he knows that SHIELD sometimes gets it wrong. 

Clint and Natasha know what home is better than anyone.

They're the ones who taught Phil.

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt Clint/Coulson/Natasha, romantic fluff


End file.
